The Birmingham BriefThe Birmingham Brief archiveContensis: http://www.contentmanagement.co.ukhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/index.aspx?SyndicationType=22015-03-31T23:30:21ZChild protection system does not need a political game of 'tough and tougher'On 3 March 2015, in the wake of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, the Prime Minister announced that professionals such as social workers and teachers could face criminal charges for 'wilful neglect' and up to five years in prison if they fail to report child abuse. In a party political game of tough and tougher, Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, also called for a 'crusade' against child abuse and 'mandatory reporting'. But are new crimes really what the child protection system needs?2015-03-12T15:18:00Z2015-03-12T15:12:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2015/03/child-protection-system-12-03-15.aspxThe cyber threat to the United KingdomWhen the new government takes office in May 2015 one of the first tasks will be to initiate a Strategic Defence and Security Review.2015-02-05T14:20:00Z2015-02-11T10:04:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2015/02/cyber-threat-uk-05-02-15.aspxHow stable is Saudi monarchy after King Abdullah's death?On 23 January, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah died at the age of 90 and was succeeded by his half-brother Salman, 79, one of the last sons of Saudi Arabia's founder Ibn Saud.2015-01-29T13:48:00Z2015-02-05T14:17:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2015/01/how-stable-is-saudi-monarchy-29-01-15.aspxOil crisis: can short-term pain lead to economic gain for Russia?The recent crash in oil prices is causing much anxiety in oil-producing states. From Iran to Venezuela, many have come to rely on elevated oil prices to fuel economic growth and support government spending.2015-01-22T14:57:00Z2015-02-11T10:04:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2015/01/oil-crisis-22-01-15.aspxDeciphering Obama's letter to the Supreme LeaderEarlier this week, it was reported by The Wall Street Journal that President Barack Obama had sent a secret letter to the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging him to accept the terms of a comprehensive agreement with the United States and other major world powers on the issue of Iran's nuclear programme.2014-11-13T14:50:00Z2014-11-13T14:36:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/11/obama-letter-13-11-14.aspxDrones are here to stay, but the government must do more to ensure greater public acceptanceOn 16 October, the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, announced that part of the UK Reaper drone fleet would be deployed in Iraq to support coalition efforts against the terror group ISIL. This week, he confirmed they would also be flying surveillance missions over Syria. These events mark the first operational use of UK Reapers outside Afghanistan and represent a significant and timely development in the UK government's stated policy towards 'drone warfare'. The overwhelming vote in the House of Commons in support of military action endorsed the firm legal basis for the UK's use of force in collective defence of a friendly government.2014-10-23T14:02:00Z2014-10-24T10:58:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/10/drones-are-here-to-stay-23-10-14.aspxBritain's first air strikes in Iraq – is there a strategy?On 26 September, British parliament approved the Cameron government's request for authority to carry out air strikes inside Iraq on the Islamic State terror group. Four days later, two Tornado jets on an 'armed surveillance' mission dropped the first bombs, hitting a jihadist heavy-weapon position and an armed pick-up truck.2014-10-02T14:58:00Z2014-10-03T09:29:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/10/britains-air-strikes-in-iraq-02-10-14.aspxRevelation of Tesco accounting error may have done new board a favourThere is a long history of companies misstating their financial position and performance, and on Monday Tesco plc became the latest with its announcement that it had overstated its half-year profit forecast by £250 million. This revelation, arising from information provided by an internal whistle-blower, resulted in an 11 per cent reduction in the supermarket giant's share price, putting the share value at an 11-year low. How can an error this large have occurred?2014-09-25T16:14:00Z2014-09-30T13:51:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/09/revelation-of-tesco-accounting-error-may-have-done-new-board-a-favour-25-09-14.aspxThings will never be the same again: reflections on the Scottish referendumWhatever the outcome of today's referendum of 3.5 million voters in Scotland, Friday 19 September 2014 will be an epoch-making day in the politics of these islands. For once, the hyperbole is justified.2014-09-18T14:34:00Z2014-09-18T14:28:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/09/reflections-on-the-Scottish-referendum-18-09-14.aspxWe want our political leaders to display good character - but what does it mean?With just ten months to go before the next General Election, Labour leader Ed Miliband set out his vision for government last week in a speech that named 'decency and empathy' as two of the defining principles of leadership:2014-07-31T15:04:00Z2014-07-31T14:56:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/07/what-does-good-character-mean-31-07-14.aspxSpeaking only English is as much of a disadvantage as speaking no EnglishA multilingual research team will conduct detailed linguistic ethnographic investigations in super-diverse neighbourhoods in the four cities, working with speakers of Chinese languages in Birmingham, Arabic speakers in Cardiff; Polish speakers in London; and Czech, Slovak, and Romani speakers in Leeds.2014-07-24T16:56:00Z2014-07-25T09:46:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/07/speaking-only-english-is-a-disadvantage-24-07-14.aspxThe Israeli-Palestinian crisis: A distressing déjà vuThe most depressing aspect of the current round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, beyond the death toll and the human suffering, is the sheer predictability of this crisis. As far as contemporary armed conflicts go, few could match the intensity, inevitability and perpetuity of the ongoing struggle between the militant group Hamas and the Israeli government.2014-07-17T14:50:00Z2014-07-18T08:18:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/07/israeli-palestinian-crisis.aspxShould 'life' mean life?Last week the Court of Appeal decided that the 'life' sentences of two murderers really will mean 'life' in prison, exceptional circumstances aside.2014-02-27T16:49:00Z2014-02-27T16:27:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/02/Should-life-mean-life27-02-14.aspxCrime on the high street goes missingFor almost two decades now the statistics for recorded crime in England and Wales have been falling. And even though there has always been a difference, of some magnitude, between the numbers gathered through the British Crime Survey – a large-scale sample of the public's experiences of crime victimisation – and the (persistently smaller) statistics compiled by the police, there has been broad agreement at least in the downward trend.2014-01-23T13:09:00Z2014-01-23T12:58:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/01/crime-on-the-high-street-goes-missing.aspxA British Manufacturing Renaissance? The Reshoring of British ManufacturingSomething strange or perhaps rather unexpected has occurred over the last few years; the media and politicians have been highlighting the strength of British manufacturing. Perhaps even stranger are the many accounts of high profile manufacturing firms that have returned production processes to the UK from low-cost production locations abroad.2014-01-09T13:38:00Z2014-01-09T15:41:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2014/01/a-british-manufacturing-renaissance-the-reshoring-of-british-manufacturing.aspxLifting the veil on anti-Muslim hate crimes against British womenEarlier this year a heavily pregnant white British woman was mowed down outside her own home after asking a man to move a car that was blocking her drive. The reason? She was wearing a niqab.2013-11-21T15:22:00Z2013-11-22T15:52:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/11/lifting-the-veil-on-anti-muslim-hate-crimes-against-british-women.aspxBack to School: Why headship is no longer an optionApplications for headteacher posts are at an all-time low and many vacancies are re-advertised a number of times before being filled. Headship is no longer the preferred choice of many deputy and assistant headteachers, meaning there is now a national shortage of headteachers.2013-08-29T14:44:00Z2013-08-29T15:24:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/08/Back-to-School-Why-headship-is-no-longer-an-option.aspxWeighing up the real value of the G8 summitIt is easy to be cynical over the value of summits such as the G8 meeting recently concluded in Northern Ireland. After all, this year's meeting was preceded by the erection of fake shop fronts in Northern Ireland to disguise empty businesses, and when Birmingham played host in 1998 the city council sprayed the grass verges green.2013-06-25T16:54:00Z2013-08-09T13:28:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/06/g8-summit-2013.aspxAre credit unions failing or are they repositioning themselves for the future?Information on Are credit unions failing or are they repositioning themselves for the future?2013-05-23T10:46:00Z2013-08-09T13:26:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/05/23-05-13Are-credit-unions-failing-or-are-they-repositioning-themselves-for-the-future.aspxThe Conservative Party, Europe and a ReferendumInformation on The Conservative Party, Europe and a Referendum2013-05-16T11:33:00Z2013-08-09T13:23:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/05/16-05-13The-Conservative-Party,-Europe-and-a-Referendum.aspxItaly's new left-right government: not the 'normalisation' of the country's politics as yet...Information on Italy's new left-right government: not the 'normalisation' of the country's politics as yet...2013-05-13T10:49:00Z2013-08-09T13:22:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/05/09-05-13Italys-new-left-right-government-not-the-normalisation-of-the-countrys-politics-as-yet.aspxWhy national politics is a mixed blessing in today's local electionsLocal elections will be held today in 34 councils, for 2,362 seats in 27 county councils and seven mainland unitaries. There are also two mayoral elections. Gains and losses will be measured in terms both of seats won and which parties have overall control of which councils.2013-05-02T16:08:00Z2013-08-09T13:20:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/05/BirminghamBrief0105.aspxWorld Autism Day: Illustrating how good autism practice constitutes good educational practice for all childrenFrom the Empire State Building to the pyramids, members of the global autism community shone a lens on autism this week by lighting many iconic landmarks in blue. This was in celebration of World Autism Day, which is a global initiative instigated by the United Nations to help raise awareness. It marks the start of autism awareness month.2013-04-05T12:11:00Z2013-08-09T13:15:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/04/world-autism-day.aspxThe HS2 Rail Proposal: a difficult political decisionMany years ago a British politician, on learning that he was about to be appointed Minister for Transport, exclaimed: 'Some enemy hath done this!' It is not hard to see why he might have said this. The transport portfolio is often brimming over with some extremely difficult issues; and the HS2 (High Speed Rail 2) proposal is certainly no exception.2013-01-31T09:52:00Z2013-08-09T12:52:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/01/hs2-proposal.aspxElectricity Market Reform: All power to the Big Six!EMR has been billed as a measure to decarbonise the electricity economy whilst at the same time stopping the electricity system collapsing as old coal and nuclear power stations come off line. Unfortunately the Government is selecting policy mechanisms that give a market advantage to the electricity majors.2013-01-09T17:01:00Z2013-08-09T12:50:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/01/Electricity-Market-Reform-All-power-to-the-Big-Six!.aspxSize Matters: Two Decades after the Break-Up of CzechoslovakiaNew Year's Eve is traditionally a time for celebration, reflection and looking forward with optimism. As Czechs and Slovaks mark what they call 'silvestr/silvester' by popping champagne corks and setting off fireworks, some will reflect not just on the dawn of a new year, but twenty years of separate statehood.2013-01-04T11:11:00Z2013-08-09T12:50:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2013/01/Size-Matters-Two-Decades-after-the-Break-Up-of-Czechoslovakia.aspxGeorgia's Parliamentary Elections - Democracy in Action?On 1 October 2012 Georgia, a small post-Soviet state on the Black Sea coast with a population of 4.6 million people, conducted its 8th Parliamentary elections since 1990. The pre-election campaign was closely watched by the West and the number of international observers monitoring the elections was allegedly the country's largest-ever.2012-12-04T12:53:00Z2013-08-09T12:46:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/12/Georgias-Parliamentary-Elections-–-Democracy-in-Action.aspxLegal, Legitimate, and Effective Drone Warfare: Grand Illusion or Future Reality?On 14 November, 2012, an Israeli drone strike killed Ahmed Jabari, the head of the military wing of Hamas in Gaza. The sharply escalating violence in the aftermath of this so-called targeted killing, while particularly costly in human life, is part of a seemingly unending violent confrontation in the region: according to a timeline of the conflict, over the past almost four years (since the conclusion of Israel's ground offensive in Gaza) more than 300 Palestinians and 20 Israelis have been killed, while in the past two years, some 800 missiles have been launched from Gaza into southern Israel.2012-12-04T12:53:00Z2013-08-09T12:47:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/12/Legal,-Legitimate,-and-Effective-Drone-Warfare-Grand-Illusion-or-Future-Reality.aspxWealth inequality - are we 'one nation', all in it together?In his speech to the Labour party conference this week, Ed Miliband invoked the spirit of the former Conservative leader, Benjamin Disraeli, when he set out his vision for Britain to be 'one nation: a country where prosperity is shared'. So where are the 'one-nation Tories' and where do Conservatives more generally stand on this issue?2012-10-05T10:02:00Z2013-08-09T12:35:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/10/Wealth-inequality---are-we-one-nation,-all-in-it-together.aspxExamining exams: GCSEs, the E.Bacc and the question of EquityMichael Gove's recent statement on the status of GCSEs and the introduction of a new qualification – the English Baccalaureate Certificate (EBC) – have been greeted as another momentous change, but what do the reforms really mean and who is likely to win (and lose) as a result?2012-09-28T10:59:00Z2013-08-09T12:34:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/09/Examining-exams-GCSEs,-the-EBacc-and-the-question-of-Equity.aspxImpact of Events in Egypt on the EU: Can any lessons be learnt from the Arab Spring?2011 was a truly historical turning point – it was a year which fundamentally changed the European Union's (EU) previous assumption about the Middle East and North African (MENA) region – that the fall of Arab autocrats was not imminent and that the dictators of the region would remain the partners to cooperate with in the near future. The Arab Spring events in Tunisia, Egypt, and beyond since December 2010 have successfully challenged the institutional order. Egypt is now embarking on a long and uncertain journey towards a more democratic future. But questions remain regarding the role of the EU towards nascent democracies.2012-03-23T12:41:00Z2013-08-09T12:01:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/02/Impact-of-Events-in-Egypt-on-the-EU-Can-any-lessons-be-learnt-from-the-Arab-Spring.aspxChallenges to the NHS from 'health tourism' going unrecognisedSince the establishment of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, health services in the UK have been funded primarily through general taxation and delivered free at the point of access to individuals. However, recent decades have witnessed an expansion in the global market for health services. This has been manifest in various ways, including an unprecedented increase in the volume of patients willing to traverse national borders for the purposes of receiving medical care.2012-02-10T16:00:00Z2013-08-09T12:02:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/02/10feb12-health-tourism.aspxThe Politics of Sporting Mega Events: do the benefits justify the budgets?The London Olympics will undoubtedly be a spectacular success and bring with it a number of memorable sporting moments. Beyond the two weeks of action, however, it is worth reflecting on the increasingly political use of sport by a wide variety of states throughout the world. In recent years, there has been a shift from advanced capitalist states to developing, small or 'emerging' states who have queued up to stage a sporting mega-event.2012-01-05T00:00:00Z2013-08-09T10:37:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2012/01/05jan12-sportmegaevents.aspxBuilding a Transparent System of Global AidHaving transparent mechanisms for distribution of global aid is hugely important. It allows scrutiny to ensure money is used effectively. The global aid landscape has changed drastically with the rise of southern donors like India and China. This makes it even more important that transparency for public flows of development aid should be non-negotiable, irrespective of whether or not they are official development assistance.2011-11-03T00:00:00Z2013-08-09T10:28:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/11/building-a-transparent-system-of-global-aid.aspxWhy 'Faith in the City'?This week as part of the ESRC's Festival of Social Science 2011, I will be hosting the event, "Faith in the City: communities, regeneration, interaction". The event sets out to explore the way in which faith inspires and influences people to live, work and act in the diverse, vibrant urban space that is today's Birmingham. Despite Alastair Campbell stating the British "don't do God", the event is interesting to many.2011-11-01T17:22:00Z2013-08-09T10:24:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/11/1nov-faith-in-the-city.aspxWhat has the EU ever done for us...?Counterfactual analysis, the art of assessing how the world might look if something had not happened, is notoriously difficult and highly sensitive to the assumptions one makes about the alternative scenarios. Forecasting the impact of a major policy reversal is fraught with similar difficulties.2011-11-01T12:02:00Z2013-08-09T10:23:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/10/28oct-EU-what-has-it-done-for-us.aspx"The Health and Social Care Bill is bad policy and bad politics – but its biggest limitation might be that it fundamentally misses the point"Rarely out of the headlines in recent months, the Bill has achieved a rather unenviable feat: it seems to have brought together an impressive array of normally uneasy bedfellows in opposition to the proposed changes. Clinicians, managers, policy makers, researchers, think tanks, charities and others rarely all agree – but all seem united in their hostility to the Bill and increasingly unafraid to voice their concerns. Even the businessman, Gerry Robinson, popped up on Panorama to tell the Health Secretary that the changes won't work and could spell the end of the NHS as we know it – that the lack of strategic planning and accountability inherent in the proposed new system was simply bad business and bad management.2011-10-07T11:03:00Z2013-08-09T10:21:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/09/7sept-health-social-care-bill.aspxAfter Gaddafi – three questions for Libya and one on the regionAs Colonel Gaddafi's 42 years in charge of Libya draw to a seemingly climactic end – the dramatic scenes in Tripolil leave a series of questions that need to be urgently answered.2011-08-23T13:54:00Z2013-08-09T10:12:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/08/23-Aug-Libya-what-next.aspxThe riots, values and the role of educationLast week thousands of young people spontaneously rioted in a number of English cities for no apparent reason. In the aftermarth of the riots there have been many calls for the renewal of public and private virtues. We appear to want to change people for the better and so improve the quality of public life.2011-08-18T17:06:00Z2013-08-09T10:11:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/08/18aug-riots-education.aspxCash or Credit? UK public spending cuts and the IMFGeorge Osborne has doggedly fought back at critics of the government's austerity strategy, repeating the mantra that sustaining the 'policy credibility' of UK plc with financial markets and investors is the paramount challenge facing this parliament. This week the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been able to draw on an apparent endorsement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for his agenda of public spending cuts and the Coalition's broader economic policy choices. But is the IMF's 'endorsement' all that the Chancellor makes it out to be?2011-07-29T10:24:00Z2013-08-09T10:04:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/06/9-June-Cash-or-Credit-UK-public-spending-cuts-and-the-IMF.aspxAdult social care is fundamentally brokenIn 2010, the former Prime Minister published a review of adult social care in which the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) argued that the system was fundamentally broken. A year on and very little has changed to alter our pessimistic assessment. Indeed in recent weeks, this diagnosis has been reconfirmed by a number of inter-related developments, including:2011-07-15T14:24:00Z2013-08-09T10:10:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/07/23Jun-SocialCareisBroken.aspxChanging behaviour and debating social values? What's the role of education in the 'big society'?The much-touted phrase 'from nanny to nudge' symbolises the Coalition Government's aspirations to find new ways to shape the habits and attitudes of good citizenship and to spread them more widely. Policy makers hope to change our expectations of what local and national government should provide, our ideas about who might provide them, and our commitment to changing our own and others' behaviours in all areas of our lives.2011-07-15T14:14:00Z2013-08-09T10:09:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/07/12Jul-YoungPeople-publicservices.aspxA new settlement for public services requires a new generation of public servantsWith thousands of public sector workers striking this week and the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister both speaking at the Local Government Conference in Birmingham the future of public services has rarely seemed a more divisive or topical issue.2011-07-14T17:53:00Z2013-08-09T10:08:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/06/26JunPublic-Servants-Reform.aspxLibya—100 Days OnInformation on Libya—100 Days On2011-06-30T16:26:00Z2013-08-09T10:06:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/06/30Jun-100DaysinLibya.aspxThreats or opportunities? The economics of the government's new carbon targetsThis week the coalition government announced a radical set of climate change targets which will limit the UK's CO2 emissions to 50% of their 1990 levels by 2025 and shift the emphasis of the UK's energy consumption firmly away from fossil fuels towards renewables and nuclear.2011-05-20T10:48:00Z2013-08-09T09:51:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/05/19may-carbon-targets.aspxThe government needs to act now on Munro Review findingsThe Munro Review into child protection policy and practice in England was published on 10 May 2011. Professor Eileen Munro's recommendations, if accepted and implemented by government, would signal a sea change for such services and for the children and families with whom they work.2011-05-16T16:35:00Z2013-08-09T09:50:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/05/16may-munro-review.aspxRegulating the complementary health professions: is the government doing enough?About half of the UK population use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during their lifetimes. Yet despite this, successive governments have appeared remarkably reluctant to engage with the regulation of these therapeutic practices, despite its stated commitment to responsive and appropriate regulation of the health sector.2011-05-12T00:00:00Z2013-08-09T09:48:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/05/12may-complementary-health.aspxThe death of Osama Bin Laden – what implications for international security?Now that the dust has somewhat settled after the initial euphoria, triumphalism, gloating, and relief that followed Barack Obama's announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden, more sober analysis is beginning of the broader implications of the end of a 15-year manhunt.2011-05-05T16:33:00Z2013-08-09T09:47:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/05/5may-OBL-death.aspxIs China's economy a cause for concern?Questioning China's remarkable economic performance over the last 30 years seems to fly in the face of wisdom honed by decades of double digit growth. However, it is perfectly possible to explain China in the context of standard models of economic growth. Immigration of low-wage labour into the Eastern seaboard along with transfers of capital from Chinese Diaspora in Hong Kong, Taiwan and further afield, created the conditions for the 'miracle'.2011-05-03T10:50:00Z2013-08-09T09:46:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/04/28april-china-economy.aspxA critical assessment of the 2011 UK multilateral and bilateral aid reviewsThe Department for International Development (DFID) recently published a Multilateral Aid Review (MAR), critically assessing 43 different international organisations (IOs), agencies and private groups. It has concurrently conducted a Bilateral Aid Review (BAR) of its own operations. This brief shows that both reviews indicate an important shift in UK aid policies, whereby future development assistance will be based on the UK's vision of development rather than more traditional global indicators.2011-04-21T15:27:00Z2013-08-09T09:45:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/04/21apr-aid-review.aspx'African solutions to African problems' – national, continental or international project?Recent events in Libya and Cote d'Ivoire have once again highlighted the issue of conflict in Africa, raising the question of whether the continent is capable of addressing crises without international intervention.2011-04-18T12:02:00Z2013-08-09T09:44:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/04/14apr-conflict-in-africa.aspxThe 2011 Budget: the big squeeze continuesBritain had an overdose of budget announcements in 2010, from Labour's budget in March, to the Coalition's 'emergency' budget in June and then their Spending Review in October. Compared to all of this, the March 2011 Budget was a rather dull affair.2011-04-05T15:32:00Z2013-08-08T16:57:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/03/31mar-big-squeeze.aspxLibya: A solution worse than the problem?As the crisis in Libya unfolds and as the US, France and the UK get potentially sucked ever deeper into yet another disastrous military intervention, policy debates and decisions appear to be driven primarily by humanitarian concern. Unsurprisingly, supporters and opponents alike use the humanitarian argument—one side seeks to stop a murderous dictator from slaughtering his own people, the other is concerned about the inevitable civilian casualties and 'collateral damage' caused by airstrikes, no matter how sophisticated the military technology behind them might be.2011-03-22T11:29:00Z2013-08-08T16:53:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/03/22Mar-Libya-a-solution.aspxCounting the cost of choice in Special Education: What does the green paper mean for services?Education and related services for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities are estimated to cost in the region of £5.2bn a year from a total education budget of £30.4bn. In the current climate it is no surprise that the Government would seek to reduce costs.2011-03-10T17:02:00Z2013-08-08T16:51:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/03/10mar-special-education.aspxAlternative Vote: An end to wasted votes and a triumph for democracy?Many keen supporters of electoral reform and, indeed, any constitutional reform agenda which aims to strengthen processes of representation and accountability, may find it difficult to feel overly excited about the prospect of the introduction of the Alternative Vote (AV) for UK general elections.2011-03-02T16:36:00Z2013-08-08T16:50:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/03/2march-alternative-vote.aspxMerkel's defeat in Hamburg – how important are local elections for National Coalitions?On Sunday, elections to the state parliament in Hamburg saw Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) take a resounding defeat with just 21.9% of the vote, a fall from 42.6% in 2008. As a result, the Social Democrats (SPD) won a landslide victory in the Landtag by a massive 48.3%, a dramatic swing to the centre-left party after ten long years in opposition.2011-02-24T13:27:00Z2013-08-08T16:49:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/02/24feb-merkel-defeat-in-hamburg.aspxCrisis in CairoEgyptian President Hosni Mubarak's announcement yesterday (1 February), that he will not seek re-election but will stay in power until the presidential elections in September to ensure a smooth transition period, is unlikely to satisfy the demand of the public for his immediate removal from power.2011-02-03T11:39:00Z2013-08-08T16:44:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/02/2feb-cairo-crisis.aspxIslamophobia – what's in a name?First came a report from the Quilliam Foundation calling for the term Islamophobia to be replaced due to the widespread confusion about what it actually means and how it should be used. Despite having been part of the social and political lexicon for almost a decade and half now, Quilliam recommend 'anti-Muslim prejudice', 'anti-Muslim bigotry' or 'anti-Muslim hatred'.2011-01-24T11:43:00Z2013-08-08T16:37:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/01/islamophobia-chris-allen-210111.aspxSudanese independenceOn 9 January polling started in Southern Sudan in a referendum to determine whether one of the largest states in Africa will divide. The result of the referendum is so certain that the South's Independence Day has already been set for 9 July, six months after the start of polling.2011-01-13T10:55:00Z2013-08-08T16:35:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2011/01/sudanese-independence-13jan.aspxWhat makes WikiLeaks so dangerous?Misguided, irresponsible, reprehensible – these are just some of the words used by critics to describe the latest set of releases on the website, WikiLeaks. But is this more than hurt pride and should we really care one way or another?2010-12-09T13:50:00Z2013-08-08T16:32:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/12/wikileaks-whatmakesitdangerous.aspxCuts to School Sport Partnerships: A Case of Ideology over Reason?The Coalition Government's proposal to cut £162 million funding for 450 school sports partnerships offers an intriguing case study of this era of new party politics and policy-making. Two points lend weight to the argument that this is a rushed decision made by an ill-informed minister, Education Secretary Michael Gove.2010-12-03T13:56:00Z2013-08-08T16:32:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/12/school-sports-partnerships-03Nov.aspxBlame the banks and the Irish Government, not the Euro, for Ireland's woesMany commentators in the UK are pointing to Ireland's presence in the Euro for its current economic woes. This is somewhat misplaced. The 'Celtic Tiger' was founded on solid economic grounds. Ireland is an attractive location within the Eurozone for overseas firms due to its English speaking, well-educated, and relatively young workforce and low corporate tax rate. Without the Euro, it is arguable that the boom years may never have happened.2010-11-25T10:29:00Z2013-08-08T16:30:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/11/irish-economy-25Nov.aspxPersonalised social care a step on the road to reform – the danger of hitting the target but missing the point?The government's new Vision for Adult Social Care stresses the need to create 'capable communities and active citizens', fully embracing the personalisation agenda as the key way to deliver this.2010-11-19T15:46:00Z2013-08-08T16:29:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/11/personalisedsocialcare191110.aspxLessons from local government: Hung parliaments can workFollowing the third of the historic Prime Ministerial debates – staged, of course, here at the University of Birmingham – the possibility of the election producing a single-party Conservative majority government increased – though marginally – for the first time in weeks. Similarly, the likelihood of a less conclusive result reduced somewhat; presumably to the relief of those who have been predicting instability, legislative deadlock and parliamentary collapse as the probable outcomes of a hung parliament.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T15:44:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/05/localgvtlessons.aspxThe economy debate without the economicsLast night at the University of Birmingham the three leaders got to grips with the economy. The debate was long on rhetoric and short on detailed economics. The first question should have got to the heart of the problem – how were the parties going to 'fill the hole'.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T15:41:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/04/economydebate.aspxAre we meeting the challenges of an age of a super-diverse society?Migration and super diverse societies are the new reality of the developed. The major issue is not whether or not we should be tough on migration, because we now have tough controls in place, but how we can better integrate the widely diverse communities resident in the UK.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T15:40:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/04/superdiversesociety.aspxCuts to welfare spendingSpending on social security benefits and tax credits – 'welfare' as it is increasingly known – represents £190 billion or around one third of government spending. When cuts in public spending are regarded as unavoidable, it is inevitable that welfare comes under pressure. The June 2010 Budget proposed measures that reduce spending by £11 billion, while the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) found another £7 billion of cuts. Radical reforms are on the horizon.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T16:10:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/10/CSR.aspxDevelopment of analytical instruments to detect explosivesThe recent terror plot to transport printers containing the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or PETN, from Yemen to Chicago synagogues has once again focused attention on the need to detect explosives reliably and in real-time. PETN is the same explosive that the so-called 'shoe-bomber' tried to set off on an American Airlines jet to Miami in 2001.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T16:26:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/10/sorrel-detectingexplosives.aspxManufacturing in Britain: Continual Decline or Possible Renaissance?Since 1966, manufacturing employment in the United Kingdom has declined. In 1995, 300,973 people were employed in manufacturing in the West Midlands (Metropolitan County), but by 2008 this had declined to 153,800. Over the same period, an additional 87,481 jobs in public administration, education and health were created and 185,158 jobs in services. Yet many of these service jobs are poorly paid and only provide services for local people rather than for export.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T15:50:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/05/manufacturinginBritain.aspxAfter New Labour?Commentators are currently focused on the extraordinary Conservative-Liberal coalition, and whether it will deliver a 'new politics'. But the emerging contest over Labour's future may prove even more significant for the long-term shape of politics in Britain.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T15:48:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/05/afterNewLabour.aspxSmall firm employment offers a ray of hope to 2010 graduatesNavigating the job market can be a difficult process for those newly graduated. Expectations can quickly become replaced by a sense of disillusionment as settling for a seemingly less prestigious, and in some cases a "non graduate" role appears the only option.2010-11-17T16:04:00Z2013-08-08T16:00:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/07/employment-hope.aspxAsset based welfare: an uncertain future?Dr Lindsey Appleyard is an author on the forthcoming report 'Home ownership and the distribution of personal wealth' for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Housing Market Taskforce.2010-11-17T16:03:00Z2013-08-08T15:51:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/06/assetbasedwelfare.aspxPolitical parties face the biggest economic challenges since the mid-1970sProfessor Colin Thain is the principle investigator in an ESRC funded project on the Treasury under New Labour and an expert on the UK Treasury and economic policy.2010-11-17T15:55:00Z2013-08-08T15:22:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/04/economicchallenges.aspxCommunity engagement: can the big society mend broken britain?One of the campaign slogans of the Conservative Party in the recent general election was their commitment to the creation of a new 'Big Society' in Britain. This was contrasted to the 'big government' that they associated with the Labour administration, which they suggested was crowding out independent citizen and community action, and which in any event would be unaffordable in the foreseeable future given the deficit in public finances.2010-11-17T15:55:00Z2013-08-08T15:51:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/06/communityengagement.aspxKyrgyzstan: One Referendum Does Not Make a GovernmentWhile efforts continued to cope with the consequences of the mass violence that erupted on 9 June in the south of the small and mountainous ex-Soviet republic, including an anticipated death toll of more than 2,000 and more than 400,000 displaced persons, Kyrgyzstan's Interim Government pressed ahead with a referendum on a new Constitution on Sunday. Preliminary results indicate that turn out was around 70% of the population, with 91% voting in favour and just 8% against.2010-11-17T15:54:00Z2013-08-08T15:57:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/06/Krygystan.aspxThe Big Society or Civil Society? A new policy environment for the UK Third SectorThe general election held on 6 May finally led to a new government for the UK. Eventually, because of course the election itself did not produce an outright winner and only when the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats were able to agree on the construction of a coalition could a new government be formed. The delays flowing from this have made it more difficult to predict at an early stage how the new government will act, in particular because third sector policy was not a high profile policy issue to be included in the initial coalition talks.2010-11-17T15:54:00Z2013-08-08T15:56:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/06/Bigsocietyorcivilsociety.aspxA cautious Political budget with all the difficult decisions delayedThe last Budget before the General Election shows that the Treasury and Prime Minister have not agreed on a comprehensive medium-term strategy to deal with the public finances. By not giving targeted and detailed cuts in spending, the Chancellor has left all the really difficult decisions until after the General Election. It is a cautious but modest political budget.2010-11-17T15:54:00Z2013-08-08T15:10:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/03/politicalbudget.aspxA new generation of militants strikes MoscowAlthough no groups have as yet claimed responsibility for the two suicide attacks the Russian security services, the FSB, have indicated that groups linked to the North Caucasus may have been behind the bombings at the Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations in Moscow.2010-11-17T15:54:00Z2013-08-08T15:15:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/03/Moscowmilitants.aspx'Enabling' – the future of local public services in the 'big society'?Suffolk County Council's recent decision to outsource almost all of its services to social enterprises or private companies has intensified the debate about the future of local public services.2010-11-17T15:53:00Z2013-08-08T16:06:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/10/publicservices,bigsociety.aspxDoes the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Kosovo's Declaration of Independence Resolve Anything?I always tell my students that, when sitting an exam, they have to answer the question that has been set rather than one that they feel comfortable with. No analogy is ever perfect, but this one sums up pretty neatly the outcome of the deliberations by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which, by ten votes to four, found that the Declaration of Independence (DoI) of Kosovo adopted on 17 February 2008 did not violate international law.2010-11-17T15:53:00Z2013-08-08T16:01:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/07/courtofjustice.aspxAid and UK Security: What is the relationship?On 16th September Andrew Mitchell MP, Secretary of State for International Development, made a speech about conflict and development at the Royal College of Defence Studies. In this speech he argued that as part of the government's Strategic Defence Security Review (SDSR) there should be a reassessment of the UK's response to overseas conflict which puts development at the heart of an integrated approach that both protects the world's most vulnerable people and protects the UK from external threats.2010-09-30T00:00:00Z2013-08-08T16:04:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/09/AidandUKsecurity.aspxWhat is the future for UK aid policy?In a month of election campaigning the issue of international development and aid policy was barely referred to by any of the three major parties. So what will the new government mean for UK aid policy?2010-05-20T00:00:00Z2013-08-08T15:49:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/05/UKaid.aspxA new political landscape an opportunity for a new approach to local governmentThis week, the national political and policy landscape for the UK has changed, as demonstrated by the sight of David Cameron sharing a press conference podium with Nick Clegg. However, this changed political and policy landscape applies to UK Local Governance as well.2010-05-14T00:00:00Z2013-08-08T15:47:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/05/newpoliticallandscape.aspxIn defence of 'death taxes'Benjamin Franklin famously said that 'in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes' and the issue of how death and taxes should be linked in future policy has provoked plenty of lively pre-election discussion amongst politicians of all parties.2010-04-28T00:00:00Z2013-08-08T15:28:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/04/deathtaxes.aspxUrban Water: meeting the challenges of tomorrow todayIt is widely accepted that a major challenge of the 21st century is to provide safe drinking water and basic sanitation for all, particularly in urban areas. More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war.2010-03-22T00:00:00Z2013-08-08T14:56:00Zhttp://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/impact/thebirminghambrief/items/2010/03/urbanwater.aspx